Let’s say adios to Days of the Verdugos

It’s been a pretty good run, but the Days of the Verdugos --

celebrated the past 55 years in Glendale as a tribute to the city’s

Spanish heritage -- clearly is past its prime, and should be allowed

to die a peaceful death instead of struggling to resurrect itself

again in 2003, as it has the past few years.

The event -- which reached a low point last year when only 75

groups entered its parade portion -- rebounded in that area a bit

this year, with about 130 entries making their way up Brand

Boulevard between Harvard and Doran streets on Saturday morning.

But community turnout for the parade, despite police officers’

generous crowd estimate of a few thousand, was abysmal. A stroll

along the six-block route while the parade was underway indicated

that perhaps a few hundred, not thousand, people were paying any kind

of attention, and many of them were shopkeepers peeking outside just

to see what was going on. No crowded sidewalks. No early risers

planting themselves in prime spots to get good seats.

In fact, the parade for all the world seemed like some sort of

outdoor theater production staged for the public’s benefit, only the

public was never told where and when it was taking place, so that

those who caught the show did so more or less by accident. And here’s

the surest sign the parade was a washout: Despite Brand being blocked

off, traffic downtown barely was affected. Those orange cones were a

nuisance for a little while for those trying to get around, but the

snags -- like the parade -- didn’t last very long.

The Days of the Verdugos carnival, held at Verdugo Park from

Thursday through Sunday, fared somewhat better, but carnivals tend

to, particularly when they have plenty of big, colorful rides and

games that will draw a free-spending demographic (young adults with

children, and teenagers.) But the truth is that any carnival would

have drawn decent numbers, simply because it’s something different to

do in the city for a few days. Why it needs to be tied to a

celebration of Glendale’s Spanish heritage is a mystery.

In fact, the whole Spanish theme lies at the heart of the Days of

the Verdugos’ waning popularity and importance. The city’s history is

inextricably tied to the settlers and landowners from Mexico and

Spain who laid the foundation for what became Glendale. But the city

-- aside from pockets of lovely architecture and scattered pieces of

art -- is not overly reflective of that tradition. Glendale is a

modern city with a melting pot of cultures and subcultures. That few

Latinos are key players in the Days of the Verdugos celebration each

year simply is proof that the celebration of “Latino heritage” is, if

not inappropriate, outdated.

Organizers -- the Junior Chamber of Commerce, or Jaycees --

continue to insist that the event is relevant, and that it now

embraces all the city’s cultures. But there’s simply no getting away

from the fact the community, as a whole, doesn’t much seem to care

about the Days of the Verdugos. If it did, candidly, more people

would turn out for the parade, more events would be held in

conjunction with it, and it would make the sort of impact on the city

that, say, Cruise Night does.

The Jaycees have done their best over the years to keep the Days

of the Verdugos alive, and the organization deserves due credit for

its efforts. So, too, do the school groups and others who have

participated in the parade.

But it’s time to shed the reluctance we have about letting things

go simply because they’ve been around a long time, and admit that

community support of, and response to, the Days of the Verdugos is

not worth the effort -- and money, a good chunk of it public -- being

put into it.

After 55 years, the Days of the Verdugos deserves a “thanks for

the memories” and a fond farewell. Let’s give it one.